The End of The Minion Era

The Maxxis Minion was Maxxis’s flagship tire for a really long time. Over the years, they expanded the Minion name to a whole range of tires: there were the DHF, DHR (I & II), FBF, FBR, and the SS. This adds up to six different tread patterns, all under the Minion name. Maxxis kept tapping into and reusing the Minion name because it always had a good reputation among riders. However, over the last few years, we have seen fewer and fewer Minions out on the trail. In their place, there are more modern tires like the Assegai and others.

This leaves Maxxis without their flagship tire. Fortunately, there is a new tire that made a splash when it was released and quickly became the go-to tire for a majority of racers. That tire is, of course, the Maxxis Aspen. Now, are we seeing the Aspen given the same treatment as the Minion did?

Well, there is already the Maxxis Aspen ST, which is a faster-rolling version of the Aspen. Then, at the latest World Cup, there were some unreleased versions of the Aspen floating around. This tire was labeled as the Aspen AT (all terrain) for more technical trails. At this pace, it seems like the Aspen could become the new flagship model that people picture when they think about Maxxis.

If the excitement around the Aspen line continues, I think there could be room in the line for a tire with more aggressive cornering knobs. I would replace the Minion SS with an Aspen variant with the fast-rolling center tread that riders love, then add some beefy cornering knobs on the side. I think this could be a popular choice for riders who require a tire to roll efficiently for long rides but still want to push the speeds on the downhill.

If Maxxis were to actually replace a Minion with an Aspen model, it would officially mark the end of the Minion era for Maxxis and welcome the new Aspen era.